Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett has announced $250,000 to help fund the dredging of Milford Pond to restore open water habitat suitable for resident fish species and water birds.
“ Milford Pond has long been a piece of the town’s history as a place for residents to recreate and home to a variety of fish species and birds ,” said Secretary Bartlett. “ The Patrick Administration is pleased to help with this project, restoring the pond to its original beauty.”
The $5.1 million project, which will be completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, involves the dredging of approximately 250,000 cubic yards of material from about 17 acres of Milford Pond, creating a depth of 12 feet. The area is currently between two and six feet deep and contains dense weeds and low dissolved oxygen resulting from decaying aquatic vegetation.
The dredged material will be taken to an area adjacent to Milford Pond to create a habitat for water bird nesting and Atlantic white cedar establishment. The dredging will create diversity among open water, aquatic weed beds, floating vegetated islands and emergent, shrub and forested wetland. Milford Pond is the habitat for several endangered, threatened and species of special concern, including Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern, King Rail and Common Moorhen.
The project is being funded by a collaboration of federal, state and local money. Work will begin this fall and it is expected to be completed in 2015.
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Press Release, July 15, 2014